Apparatus for drying clothes

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for drying clothes, such as skirts, dresses, pants or the like, which includes a body contoured to the general configuration of a garment to be placed thereon with the body being constructed from collapsible, foldable, air impermeable material with means for inducing air into the body to inflate the same to a desired inflated configuration, an envelope in external telescopic relationship to the body, the envelope being constructed from air permeable material, and means for introducing air into the envelope between the latter and an exterior of the body whereby air exiting through the envelope permeable material will dry a garment telescoped thereover.

United States Patent 1 l 11 3,892,047

Miiller-Scherak July 1, 1975 l l APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES [76] Inventor: Wolf Georg Miiller-Scherak, T g 'f' j y Sprague Vincenz State-Str. 8, Cologne 41, Assumm mmmer,ames eung G Attorney, Agent, or Ftrm-Drller, Brown, Ramik &

ermany Wight [22] Filed: May 15, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 470,190 ABSTRACT The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for drying clothes, such as skirts, dresses, pants or the A l t P D Foreign pp ma Horny am like, which includes a body contoured to the general May I8, 1973 Germany 2325l configuration of a garment to be placed thereon with the body being constructed from collapsible, foldable, [52] 34/103 34/239 223/ air impermeable material with means for inducing air [5 ll '3" into the body to inflate the same to a desired inflated [58] new Search I 22366 configuration, an envelope in external telescopic relal tionship to the body, the envelope being constructed f from air permeable material, and means for introduc- [56] Re erences ing air into the envelope between the latter and an ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS terior of the body whereby air exiting through the en- 245,36l 8/1881 Eavestaff 223/67 velope permeable material will dry a garment tele- 3,433,395 3/1969 Ochtera 34/103 scoped thereover. 3,479,749 ll/l969 Del Moral 34/103 3,653,56l 4 1972 Shields 34/103 Clams 4 Drawing Flgures APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES The invention relates to an apparatus for drying clothes like shirts, dresses, pants etc. comprising hanging the garment on a shaped body and exposing it from the inside to an air flow distributed uniformly over the outer surface of the shaped body.

Up to the present, wet or humid clothes had been attached on a clothes-line by means of pegs for drying, or they are placed on a hanger suspended freely and extending within the shoulder portion of the clothing. In each case, the drying time is dictated by the strength of the air flow to which the suspended clothes are exposed. Out of doors, the drying takes place mostly much more quickly due to the wind action than in closed rooms in which either a weak or no air movement at all comes to pass which could support or accelerate the removal of the humidity from the tissue.

It being mostly desired for timely reasons or for lack of space to cause shirts, blouses or the like to dry as soon as possible, and since, moreover, air pollution does not favor the tendency of allowing delicate fabric like silk and the like to dry out of doors, the demand for an apparatus drying clothes by means of a controlla ble air flow is great. i

It is the object of the invention of providing such an apparatus and this object is solved in that the shaped body is impermeable to air and enclosed slackly by at least one envelope permeable to air, and that the space between the shaped body and the envelope is filled with air from a blower.

The shaped body at least partly fills up a wet garment hanging thereover so that it is kept in its form and cannot be twisted. If the blower connected with the envelope permeable to air is put on, an air current flows into the space between the shaped body and the sleeve and penetrates into the fabric of the garment due to the air permeability of the envelope so that the garment is intensely aerated. By this means, moisture present is quickly expelled from the fabric and the garment is completely dry within short, without being twisted due to the shaped body nor getting creases or other undesired folds. After a short time of ventilation an easycare shirt, garment or the like is removed from the shaped air dryer according to the invention without any disadvantageous effect on its shape, so that the new condition of the clothing is retained for a much longer time than with the customary type of drying of such articles. Moreover, the good preservation of the clothing is due to the uniform distribution of the blown air flow through the fabric because a loosening up and refreshing of each individual filament is effected and also the last dust particle is blown out of the fabric.

It is suitable for the shaped body to be inflatable and upon deflation to be foldable to a small pack to be taken along for travels. The shaped body may, in a manner known per se, partly follow the contour of the human body. This will improve the forming influence of the apparatus on the garment. Above all, not only the trunk of the garment is kept enlarged by the shaped body, but also the sleeves and the trouser-legs are fixed during the drying operation so that they are ready for use upon termination of the drying for being plain without ironing or stretching thereafter.

However, it is also conceivable that the shaped body is not inflatable, but stable.

To improve air circulation between the shaped body and the envelope, the shaped body and/or arm or leg projections can be interrupted by at least one hole-like opening, i.e., the shaped body may have the configuration of an annular bead. In addition to the resulting increase of the air volume within the envelope and the better exploitation of the blower efficiency, the openings stabilize the shaped body and ameliorate its shape so that no disadvantageous bulges appear upon its inflation for the garment to be applied thereover.

On the surface of the shaped body and the internal face of the envelope resp., there may be provided knubs or ribs keeping the envelope from the beginning at a distance from the shaped body and improving the air supply into the fabric. The undulated configuration of the outer surface of the shaped body serves the same purpose. Moreover, it is prevented therewith that the wet garment, at the beginning of the drying operation, adheres with a large surface to the envelope by impairing air circulation.

The envelope may be formed of any material permeable to air. It may be of optional, dampproof fabric or of perforated sheet material.

There may be secured to the envelope a hose connection to be connected with a foehn serving as a blower. Such a configuration permits the use of the apparatus with a foehn already existing in households. However, one may also directly place a blower into the envelope, in other words, the shaped body and the envelope together with the blower form a constructional unit which is permanently integrated.

At the upper portion of the shaped body and the sleeve or envelope there is fixed at least one hanger hook permitting to attach the entire apparatus with the clothing at a hook or on a line.

The invention will be now explained schematically with working examples illustrated in the drawing.

FIG. I is an outside view showing the possible configuration of a dryer with connected foehn,

FIG. 2 is a section of the apparatus of FIG. 1 to illustrate details,

FIG. 3 is a detail sketch of the apparatus according to FIG. I to show more clearly the knubs and ribs on the shaped body,

FIG. 4 is an outside view of a further embodiment of the apparatus.

A closed shaped body 1 of foil material impermeable to air, of rubber plastic or the like may be inflated via a valve 2 or deflated resp. It has a trunk portion 3 panly following the contour of the human body, from which extend arm projections 4. In the center of the trunk portion 3 and of the arm projections 4 there is always one hole-like opening 5 so that these parts appear to be like an annular bead.

As a whole, the shaped body I is surrounded by an envelope 6 consisting of material permeable to air, e.g. of a plastic sheet provided with many holes 7. The envelope substantially follows the contour of the shaped body and embraces it slackly so that there remains be tween them a free space 12 kept open round about by knubs and ribs 8 designed on the surface of the shaped body 1 (FIG. 3).

A blower, e.g. a foehn I0, is connected with the envelope by a hose connection 9.

The inflated shaped body 1 with the envelope 6 surrounding it is suspended by means of hook 11 at an optional place and connected with foehn l0. Thereafter, the garment to be dried is applied thereover, while care is taken that the shaped body and the arm projections fill up the shoulder portion and the arms. Foehn may now be switched on to supply through hose connection 9 the air current into space l2 between the shaped body I and the envelope. The air is discharged through holes 7 conveniently uniformly and closely distributed over the envelope. lt penetrates into the fabric of the garment hanging over the device. it is strongly ventilated and dried by the continuously expelled moisture in a very quick manner in its entirety because not only the trunk portion but also the arms are subjected to the influence of the air circulation improved by the openings 5 in the shaped body I and additionally intensified.

The same effect results from a device for drying pants comprising leg projections at the shaped body and en velope of a waist-band breadth,

According to the working example of H6. 4 the shaped body 110 is extended downwardly and has an undulated outer surface. This configuration is recommendable for drying garments filled up in such a case substantially over their total length by the shaped body 110 and the envelope 116. In this case, the shaped body 110 is interrupted by a series of hole-like openings 115. Due to the length of the shaped body and the material involved therewith. the hole-like openings llS bring about considerable savings of material, however, they substantially serve for the improvement of the air circulation like in the case of the example of FIGS. 1 to 3.

In this Example, a blower 100 is placed directly into the envelope 116 so that shaped body 110, envelope 116 and blower 100 form a constructional unit. The apparatus can be secured to a tripod. 111.

in order to avoid impairing the clothing hanging on the shaped body, it is convenient to provide the blower unit either at the top or at the bottom.

lt is an advantage to secure the envelope 6 or 116 detachably on the shaped body 1,110. For instance, it could be opened or closed by means ofa zipper 13, buttons, burdock closures etc., so that it may be stripped on or off the shaped body 1,110. By this means not only the envelope but also the shaped body can be simply cleaned, irrespective of the material of which they are made.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for drying clothes such as skirts, dresses, pants or the like comprising a body contoured to the general configuration of a garment to be placed thereover, said body being constructed from collaps- .being constructed from air permeable material, and means for introducing air into said envelope between the latter and an exterior of said body whereby air exiting through said envelope permeable material will dry a garment telescoped thereover.

2. The apparatus ad defined in claim 1 including means defining an opening through said body through which will circulate air introduced into said envelope.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for defining tortuous passages between said body and envelope through which can pass the air introduced into said envelope.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for releaseably securing said envelope to and removing said envelope from said body.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said body configuration is that of a human being body, and means defining an opening through said body through which will circulate air introduced into said envelope.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 including means for defining tortuous passages between said body and envelope through which can pass the air introduced into said envelope.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said tortuous passage defining means are rib means disposed between said body and said envelope.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam. 

1. Apparatus for drying clothes such as skirts, dresses, pants or the like comprising a body contoured to the general configuration of a garment to be placed thereover, said body being constructed from collapsible, foldable, air impermeable material, means for introducing air into said body to inflate the same to a desired inflated configuration, an envelope in external telescopic relationship to said body, said envelope being constructed from air permeable material, and means for introducing air into said envelope between the latter and an exterior of said body whereby air exiting through said envelope permeable material will dry a garment telescoped thereover.
 2. The apparatus ad defined in claim 1 including means defining an opening through said body through which will circulate air introduced into said envelope.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for defining tortuous passages between said body and envelope through which can pass the air introduced into said envelope.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam.
 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for releaseably securing said envelope to and removing said envelope from said body.
 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said body configuration is that of a human being body, and means defining an opening through said body through which will circulate air introduced into said envelope.
 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 including means for defining tortuous passages between said body and envelope through which can pass the air introduced into said envelope.
 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said tortuous passage defining means are rib means disposed between said body and said envelope.
 9. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam.
 10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said envelope includes an operable and closeable seam to facilitate the application and removal of said envelope upon and from said body respectively, and means for opening and closing said seam. 